I Stop and I Breathe, That's all Coping Is
by Lekta
Summary: Jack left the team, after the defeat of Abaddon, and they try to find their footing again with him gone. Swearing, and references to sex but, nothing too graphic. R
1. The Replacement

_Author's Notes: This is my first Torchwood fanfic, I only just recently got into the show and have been obsessing over it like crazy. So, this is the result, I hope I do it justice, and this is a no-smut zone, because I can't write it very well. So, enjoy and please, review. So this takes place before Season Two starts, Jack's gone off with the Doctor and it's about how the team copes without him. I don't mean to intentionally bash Gwen, I don't really mind her that much but, Ianto isn't her biggest fan. _

_DISCLAIMER: I don't own Torchwood, and thank god for that because I've been reading too much fanfiction and, who knows what would happen as a result?_

Ianto Jones got in that morning at ten minutes to seven as usual. He tidied up the tourist office, readjusted the pamphlets and swept up the front. Then he went downstairs and put the coffee on, cleaning up Owen's desk with rubber gloves (he had learnt that lesson) and then moved on to the rest. He wasn't wearing his typical suit but the jeans and t-shirt he never let his colleagues see him in. Really, only Jack, the only one there early enough, saw him in his casual clothing and he would watch Ianto and make some remark about "call boys" and "painted on jeans" which Ianto would roll his eyes at, or at least give him "The Sexual Harassment in the Workplace" booklet.

But as Ianto mopped up the Hub, which took an hour usually, he didn't hear Jack's snide remarks or see Jack's suggestive glances, a waggling of his eyebrows. When he looked up at Jack's office there was no silhouette of his boss with his arms crossed over his chest. It took three minutes after Ianto woke up this morning to remember that Jack had disappeared, and left them all alone; he went to find his "doctor." And it was when Ianto was brushing his teeth that he got a sinking feeling in his chest that Jack was never coming back. The pain had been great, and he had quickly reassured himself that Jack would be back. He would come back for him.

It had only been a week after all, a week of chasing down Weevils and alien artifacts. There had been one that made everyone you touched fall madly in love with you, and it had kept the team distracted. _Killing time_, Ianto thought. Just until Jack came back. Then things would go back to normal. So, Ianto made the coffee, three times a day, and he always kept Jack's mug nearby, in case he came back that day, and he battled with Owen, and spoke to Gwen and helped Tosh with whatever assignment she was working on, and he kept a pile of reports for Jack when he got back.

Ianto put the mop back in the bucket and wheeled it back into the supply cupboard and then emptied it. He glanced down at his watch and then headed off to the team's change rooms where he would shower and change. As soon as his suit went on, Ianto became the calm, cool and collected Torchwood employee. He would appear upstairs just as the rest of them came in at eight-thirty, and no one would be the wiser. Only Jack ever saw Ianto in the mornings, and they would sit down with tea and have breakfast. It was simple, and it was quiet, and it was everything to Ianto.

Tosh was the first to arrive, sending a quiet smile Ianto's way when he placed her floral cup of coffee on her desk. She turned back to whatever she was doing on the computer, after offering him half her apple and caramel pastry. He declined as usual but, the thought was nice. Something she had been doing ever since the Lisa incident, which he had at first shied away from. Things were easier before Lisa was discovered, and everything had gone to shit. And then the team were constantly checking up on him (Gwen) or wouldn't look him in the eye (Toshiko) or were hostile to him, more so than ever before (Owen.) The only one who hadn't changed was Jack. He was still flirting with Ianto but, during his four-week probation, Jack had checked up on him, and had dinner with him almost every night. It had been nice, if a bit bruising to Ianto's pride.

Gwen was next to arrive, all bright red cheeks and smiles as she pulled off her coat and took her 'Dogs' mug with a grateful tone.

"Sorry, I'm a bit late, Rhys spent half-hour in the bath this morning, then he cooked this lovely breakfast, and I couldn't just let it go to waste." Gwen grinned at Ianto as she logged on to her computer.

"Sounds lovely," he mustered with his usual smile.

"Don't suppose Owen's in yet?" She asked.

Ianto shook his head, "I expect he'll be dropping in around ten-thirty as usual."

"Alright," Gwen nodded, and Ianto took that as a dismissal. He made his own cup of coffee, and drank it as he made a list of office supplies and a grocery list for the Hub. He'd go out this afternoon, after his four hour stint in the Tourist office. It was only open three times a week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and only from eleven to three. It felt nice to get into the outside world after being cooped up in the underground area, and he got to talk to the costumers, few that they were.

Owen came in at a quarter past ten-thirty, grumbling and looking hung over. Probably spent the night at the pub; Ianto could tell because he was wearing the same clothes as yesterday and he smelled like he hadn't washed. Ianto wrinkled his nose as he brought Owen his coffee, who drank the scalding liquid down in two gulps and immediately turned away from Ianto, without a thank you. Ianto huffed annoyed and turned on his heel and back to his list.

"Ianto!" Gwen called and he put down his pen and went over to see what she wanted.

"You hollered?" He asked, putting more annoyance in his tone than he normally would. She smiled at him, "meeting, love, in ten minutes."

'Fancy yourself the boss now? Jack's only been gone a week!' Ianto shouted angrily in his mind.

"Of course," he said, inclining his head. She pecked him on the cheek, "you're a doll." She then turned and started walking towards the autopsy bay, "OWEN!"

"Uh, emails might be more effective," Ianto offered. Tosh stood up, her skirt swishing against her legs.

"I think Gwen likes doing things the hard way," Tosh said to Ianto as she came beside him. Ianto glanced down at her, "yes, I suppose so."

Ianto took his usual spot, closest to the door after he handed out the second round of coffee. He noticed that Gwen had taken the seat at the very end of the table; Jack's seat. Why was she in Jack's seat? God, was she trying to replace Jack, like she did Suzie? Owen gave her a bored look and leaned back in his seat, while Tosh crossed her legs and sat forward, obviously curious. Ianto hid his annoyance and prepared to listen.

"Alright, so, I'm sure by now we've all realized that Jack's…" Gwen shot a look at Ianto, "an extended leave of absence. And after the mistake that was last night, I think we need a leader. A replacement." She said, looking at them all.

Tosh shifted uncomfortably in her chair and Owen snorted.

"We weren't…er, that bad, it was just a bit of trouble." Toshiko said, looking up at Gwen.

Owen glanced at her, "really, Tosh, because I think cleaning alien guts off a group of old church ladies and then shooting the priest in the arm, is a spectacular shit case."

"Not that you did any cleaning, Owen, just griped and moaned," Ianto said.

"That's the job of Teaboys, teaboy."

"Very intelligent, Owen, I expect you came up with that sometime last night and then waited for the opportune moment to use it," Ianto said with a bored tone. Owen scowled, "bit busy last night."

"Oh, really? Drinking yourself into a drunken stupor? How productive."

"Boys, we need to figure this out, we can't just run around with our heads cut off, Torchwood needs to get it together." Gwen said, firmly.

_Seems like Gwen's taking over, _Ianto thought, annoyed.

"Really, did you have someone in mind?" He asked aloud. Gwen looked taken aback, "oh, no-hadn't really thought about it, well-who was Jack's second-in-command?" She asked the room.

Owen snorted, "Suzie."

"Bit out of luck then," Ianto pointed out, enjoying the brief pain on Gwen's face.

"Well, who was after?" She recovered and then asked.

"Owen, he was the next in line." Tosh spoke up, glancing at the doctor. Owen waved his hand in the air, "eh-I don't want it. Too much bloody paperwork for me."

"Which you don't even complete in the first place," Ianto said, locking his fingers together in his lap. Owen flipped him off lazily.

"Right, then, I guess-I'll take it, that alright?" Gwen bit her lip as she glanced at them.

Tosh nodded, obviously not wanting the job and Ianto simply inclined his head, fixing Gwen with a look. She interpreted this as a yes and smiled in delight. It was wonderful that he and Tosh were still ignored when it came to decisions.

"I know, this is going to just be fine, until Jack comes back of course," she hurriedly put in.

"Of course," Ianto said. He stood up and waited for the others to leave before he went back to the archives. His haven, away from PC's that think they can run Torchwood, and quiet Japanese women, and arsehole doctors. God, he really wished Jack were here.

_Right, so there's the first chapter, tell me what you think in a review. _


	2. Two Lonely Hearts Find a Home

_Author's Notes: Second chapter out! This story is going to take some turns and is just my own interpretation of what could have happened while Jack was away. It's about the team coming together and finding their identities without Jack. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood._

"She's gonna blow!"

Gwen leaped over the crate and pressed her back tight against it as the entire area shook with tremors. She closed her eyes as dust and blood rained down and she covered her head with her arms for protection. She waited three heartbeats before she opened her eyes and shakily rose to her feet, taking in the stench of burning flesh with a grimace.

"Everybody alright?" She called, pulling out her gun and pointing it at the sobbing man in the centre of the room. Hearing no answer she tried again, "Owen?"

"Just bloody fine, PC Cooper, just covered in blood and guts." She heard him grumble and saw him rise to his feet, wiping his face with disgust.

"Tosh? Ianto?" Gwen asked, ignoring Owen's griping.

"We're here." She heard Ianto's voice and saw him help Tosh to her feet, they both looked alright and Gwen turned her attention back to the heartbroken man.

"Not my mum, I tried, god, I tried…not you, mum." He rocked back and forth, his hands wound tightly around his middle, having no body to hold onto. Gwen felt her heart ache for him.

Most people didn't understand when alien technology wrapped itself in their lives and people did crazy things to protect the ones they loved. Even killing three doctors after they said that their mother's condition was incurable and inoperable. This was the part of her job that she hated. Seeing people so broken, so destroyed, that they were just empty shells left over. 'Still', she thought as she tightened the grip on the gun, 'that didn't mean that they still weren't dangerous. That idea of 'having nothing to live for' made them more dangerous.'

She glanced at Ianto, who looked like he had taken a punch in the jaw evident from the light bruising, and couldn't help but think of Lisa.

Lisa, the person who Ianto had lied to everyone for, whom he had cleaned up three corpses for and risked his life for. Seeing the young man crying, she noticed that he didn't look that much older than Ianto. He could even see the glimmer of the young boy he had been before his mum had gotten sick. She could see it in Ianto too, even if it took a while and a good eye to detect it.

"What'll we do with him?" Ianto asked softly, speaking out of the corner of his mouth. Tosh looked incredibly pale and she wouldn't take her eyes off of the boy.

"He's wanted for murder, I'll call Andy," she sighed. God, she hated to do that after all he'd been through. Ianto simply nodded and said nothing else.

"Police are on there way, want us to stick around for a bit," Owen came up, pocketing his phone, giving up on trying to be clean. He snorted, "Right."

Gwen couldn't think of a reply and everything was silent until the police showed up. Owen went around fussing over everyone until mild-mannered Tosh snapped at him to bugger off. Ianto's eyebrows shot up into his head, Owen was stunned into silence and Gwen thought that she needed to keep a closer eye on Tosh. She watched as they placed the unresisting man into the car. She saw the broken and hopeless look on his eyes as he was driven away.

"What the bloody 'ell 'appened?" Andy came over to Gwen.

"Torchwood business," she said shortly.

"That's great, who's gonna clean up this mess, then?" He asked, wiping his forehead.

"We'll come by later, until then, seal off the entire warehouse. Nobody gets in unless they're Torchwood." She said in a clipped tone. Andy wrinkled his nose in annoyance, "'ey, who's given you the authority to order me around, I thought that American fellow was the boss."

"He's gone away for a bit, I'm taking over." Gwen said.

"Where's he gone?" Andy said.

Ianto sighed and shifted uncomfortably, Tosh's head ducked lower and Owen prepared to give the guy a lashing. Sensing the inevitable blow up, Gwen said a quick goodbye and hustled her team away, back to the Range Rover.

--

Tosh knew that Ianto and Owen had gone back to the warehouse to clean it and sterilize it. Tosh wanted to finish some program she was working on, to track the residual energies left by alien artifacts but, Gwen had hustled her out the door, eager to go home and be with Rhys; have a late dinner, watch some telly and then fall asleep after a bout of great sex.

Tosh wished she had that and she took a final swig of her glass of white wine. The telly had been turned to some movie about a blonde going to law school but honestly it was dribble and did little to keep her mind occupied. She could barely stand that dog. Tosh hated dogs, ever since she was a little girl and by the time she had convinced her mother to let her get a pet, Tosh was in her first year of university, so that sort of defeated the purpose. But her mother had a cat. A beautiful Siamese with crystal blue eyes that was sleek and gentle and proud.

She hadn't been home for two years, not allowed to see her mother thanks to her probation and as much as she knew Jack wanted to, UNIT was keeping watch on her mother, preventing Toshiko from seeing her. She missed her mother, missed her Okaa-san so much that it ached at night when she would count sheep or recount a complicated mathematical formula, to try and get to sleep. Tosh talked to her on the phone, twice a month but it still wasn't enough. Maybe she could try to convince Gwen to let her take a family vacation.

But that meant coming clean about what she had done, about her probation and her contract with UNIT and she didn't think she was ready for that. She was so grateful to Jack for many things but the most was that he hadn't told anyone about how she got into Torchwood, he had wiped away her shame, even if it was still on the UNIT records, at least she could pretend for a bit that it didn't happen. As much as she liked her colleagues, she didn't want them to look at her any different-she saw how they treated Ianto after the 'Cybermen' incident and she didn't want that to happen to her.

Tosh finally switched off the television and put down her glass of wine. She couldn't stand another evening alone with just the tv for company. God, she was pathetic. She didn't have a boyfriend, hadn't had sex in years and could barely hold a conversation. Maybe she should be more like Gwen, except for 'the cheating on her loving boyfriend' bit. But she wished she was charismatic, more assertive, and not so quiet. Gwen could take command of any room and she had two thirds of the men at work falling over themselves for her. Gwen had it all, and Toshiko wanted it.

She felt revulsion at the idea of spending another night alone and stood up, grabbing her coat. She should be with someone just as lonely as she was.

--

Ianto opened the door with his toothbrush in his mouth, eyes widening at seeing Tosh carrying a case of beer and a box of pizza. She smiled at him in a non-threatening way, readjusting her burden.

"Tosh." He said, choking on the toothpaste in his mouth. Tosh laughed, "go on, I'll wait here for you to rinse."

Ianto gave her a grateful look and moved to the bathroom. He spit, drank some water and then spit again before wiping his mouth on a pristine white towel and going back to the door.

"You aren't here to cheer me up, are you?" He accused her. Tosh shook her head, "no, I came to cheer _me_ up."

"Good, come in, then." He smiled and took the pizza box and beer from her hands. She took off her coat and she heard him tell her to 'make herself at home and that he would be right back.'

Tosh glanced around the flat. It was sparsely decorated with a brown couch and a coffee table with a tray of coasters on it. The telly was on an shelving unit and she looked over the titles on the bookshelf. Ianto appeared to have an obsession with eighteenth and nineteenth century literature, and mystery novels. She noted with smile the entire 'James Bond Collection' and saw the dvds on the shelf underneath. It was nice and so Ianto, clean and tidy with a hint of class, an old world room, like a parlour in a manor.

"Find anything interesting?" Ianto asked, handing her a beer and Tosh felt her stomach grumble at the smell of warm vegetarian pizza.

"Other than your penchant for James Bond, then no." She turned and accepted the beer.

"Always fancied myself a bit of spy, still a Torchwood archivist/researcher isn't that far off." He said, taking a drink himself. Ianto raised an eyebrow as he caught her staring.

"Sorry, I haven't seen you in anything but a three-piece suit; it's odd to see that you wear pajamas." She blushed, sitting down on the couch.

"Tried to get an elegant pajama set but unfortunately 'Scooby Doo' was all they had." Ianto shrugged, sitting on the ground. Tosh sat with her hands demurely in her lap and Ianto turned on the telly to some comedy show.

"Helluva day," Ianto commented. Tosh nodded, "yeah." They both chose to refrain from speaking about the memories that had been brought back before of the sad situation of the boy and his mother.

"Least we know we can survive without Jack though." She said cheerily. Ianto's smile froze in place and Tosh frowned at herself, "I didn't mean-"

"It's fine, Tosh." Ianto held up a hand to stave off her apologies.

"I thought-you and Jack were…" She let the sentence hang. Ianto let a bark of laughter, "Jack's not exclusive to anyone, Tosh."

"But," Tosh ventured. "Did you love him?"

Ianto sighed, "I don't know, maybe…I can't remember loving anyone but Lisa but, I was fond of him. _Really_ fond."

"What's it like?" She asked, suddenly. "Being in love." She elaborated at his confused look. Ianto looked down at the rim of his bottle as he spoke, "it's like sun on Welsh day, I don't know how else to explain it-it's like, you can't be away from them, can't even think of living without them."

Tosh nodded and her shoulders dropped a little, "I don't know if I've ever felt that…"

"It's different for everyone," Ianto tried to placate her.

"Is there something terribly wrong with me?" Tosh muttered.

"Of course not!" Ianto exclaimed.

"Sometimes I don't know. It seems like there has to be, if all I can get is an alien who wants to use me as bait." She laughed humorlessly.

"Jack would disagree." Ianto pointed out. Tosh smiled and tucked a piece of dark hair behind her ear. Ianto watched the comedian for a bit, the sounds of laughter filling the room.

"You'll find it." Ianto patted her knee.

"How do you know?" She asked, her head rising. She tried not to be so hopeful.

"Because you deserve it. You're beautiful, and smart and kind and witty."

"Stop, Ianto." She commanded, blushing. He shrugged, "it's true, Jack saw it."

"He did not," she exclaimed.

"Yeah, he did, would talk about it to, said that Owen better get his act together and grow up."

"What does Owen have to do with it?" She asked her heart thumping. Ianto took a drink, letting the silence answer for him.

"Do you ever regret it? Falling in love?" Tosh piped up. Ianto smiled then, "sometimes, but in the end, I think it's worth it."

He looked up at Tosh, "we should eat the pizza before it gets cold."

"Cheers." She said with a laugh as she grabbed a slice. They 'clinked' their beer bottles together, a celebration to everything that was and everything that can happen.

_Second chapter is done; I've always liked the idea of Ianto and Tosh being friends. They just seemed that they would get on really well, and that's what sort of spawned this little idea. If you liked it, review: reviews make me happy and make the chapters come faster!_


	3. Jack's Shiny Teeth, Owen and Rhys

_Author's Notes: I've gotten a heck of a lot alerts for this story, however, it would be nice to have some reviews to see how people are responding to this story, and any suggestions to make it better. To those who alerted me: thanks so much. _

_To those who reviewed: your words were greatly appreciated._

_Anyway, let's get on with it._

_DISCLAIMER: I don't own Torchwood, which makes me sad. ___

Gwen sipped the white wine in her hand as she leaned against the kitchen counter. It tasted rather awful: a gift from Rhys' mum, who always seemed to like everything extremely bitter. Gwen thought it was so she could match her sordid personality but Rhys didn't take kindly to her comments. He said once they were married she could make fun of his mother as much as she wanted. Gwen didn't necessarily like where those types of conversations headed and tended to make a quick change of subject to distract Rhys.

"Gwen, luv, where's the saucepan?" Rhys asked from the kitchen.

"Cupboard underneath the sink." She said back. She could hear him searching from the clattering of metal on metal and winced at the sound.

"Are you sure I can't help?" Gwen asked for the third time as she heard something shatter.

"Positive, manage on my own, thanks." Rhys said, turning around to look at her.

"If you're sure," Gwen said in disbelief. The pot was bubbling and red liquid was splashing all over the stove and floor. Rhys caught her gaze and gleefully returned to stirring the pot.

"No need to lift a finger, Gwen." He assured her as he started chopping up green bell peppers.

Gwen couldn't help but smile. Rhys did look adorable in her flowered apron. He was positively aglow as he cooked, obviously enjoying himself. She laughed as Rhys wiggled his butt playfully, catching her staring. She could definitely get used to this: pissing around with Rhys, sitting down to dinner with him, falling asleep beside him and waking up to his face.

She didn't really understand how happy the simple things could make her. Torchwood was fine. It gave her a rush of adrenaline and the job came with an expiration date but Gwen didn't entirely believe that. The only one who died was Jack, who always came back, and Suzie, who Gwen wasn't that sad to lose. Except Jack didn't come back this time, well, he wasn't dead and Gwen took comfort in that but at work…she missed Jack's lecherous grin, nearly blinding white. He had really shiny teeth. Rhys' teeth were always an off-white and his breath tended to smell. Jack smelled like chocolate and spice and something desirable. His own unique scent.

She loved Rhys, she really did. She loved the way he made her breakfast in bed. Owen's idea of breakfast in bed didn't involve any food at all and was messier than cooking.

Gwen peeked at the pile of plates in the sink, the food dropping on the floor and the splash patterns on her wall.

Alright, so cooking wasn't exactly cleaner, she amended.

Then there was Rhys' lips, pouty and soft, though sometimes Gwen felt like he was trying to swallow her mouth rather than kiss it. Owen's were hard and unyielding much like his kiss, it was forceful and he was in complete control. Gwen didn't understand her attraction to Owen, thin and sharp, always lashing out like a whip. Kinky Owen, all thrusting and force with none of Rhys' romantic notions. No 'love you' or sweet kisses down her neck. With Rhys, it was gentle and sweet, with Owen, hard and fast, leaving her aching and begging for more.

Then there was Jack. Gwen spent many hours at work staring at Jack's lips, which were full but not too full, and -she imagined- soft. She imagined Jack's big hands on her shoulders, straying on her neck, caressing her hair. She could feel his kisses and bites on her neck. Imagined being with him, Jack being sweet and amazing and everything she wanted. She watched his arse wiggle around in his pants, caught his winks and glances at her and could just imagine being Jack's.

Gwen gulped down the rest of her wine in one go. God, this was so messed up. Jack was with Ianto, or at least shagging him and Gwen was in a happy relationship with Rhys. This was beyond wrong.

But there could be a way, once Jack got back; maybe she could try it out with him. He wasn't exclusive with Ianto; in fact she suspected Jack had shagged Owen once or twice. It was Torchwood policy to sleep with the boss, or at least snog him senseless. No, that _wasn't_ right. She was happy, Jack was happy- when he came back he'd go running back to Ianto and she would fantasize about his lips and his arse, just like usual.

"Ta-da!" Rhys said with a flourish as he grinned up at Gwen. She walked over to him and pressed their lips firmly together. When she pulled away, he was breathless and there was a dopey grin on his face.

"If I get a reaction like that, may cook more often." He said. She forced a smile on her face and they sat down across from each other. They even held hands over the table, just like cheesy romantic couples on the telly.

"Absolutely delicious, Rhys." Gwen said, finishing off her third glass of wine.

"Really? Not too much garlic, then?" He asked.

Actually there _was_ too much garlic; Gwen had to keep drinking the wine to weaken the taste. It made her eyes water if she didn't. But she simply smiled at Rhys instead, best not to hurt his feelings.

"I'll clean up, since you cooked." She grabbed her plate and made to stand up.

"Gwen, it's fine, luv. Leave them for a moment." Rhys said, shuffling through his pocket. Gwen caught the sight of a black box and her heart dropped into her stomach.

"It's fine, really no trouble." She said again, desperate to postpone this conversation.

"Gwen, leave it." Rhys said, putting his hand on top of hers. She reluctantly sat back down and Rhys produced a small velvet box and placed it in front of her.

"I have something to ask you," he said, finally. His voice wavered slightly, a sure sign he was nervous. Gwen began to sweat and her face felt like it was on fire. Rhys opened up the case and pulled out an engagement ring. It was really ugly with large purple stones covering a tarnished gold band and the whole thing looked rather dirty, even though Gwen had found the receipt for the polishers when she was doing the laundry. She remembered that it was his grandmother's from the 1930's.

"Gwen, we've been together for a few years now, and we're not exactly getting any younger. Not in our twenties anymore, eh?" Rhys smiled. Gwen winced, not the best opening for a proposal.

"I remember when you first kissed me in the supermarket, and I looked at you and I don't know how, but I knew I was going to marry you. Living together has been one of the best times of my life, and I don't want it to end." Rhys took her hand ('the wrong one', Gwen thought but didn't correct him) and put the ring on her second to last finger.

"So, I'm asking you, Gwen Cooper, if you'd marry me." He looked up at her with a shy smile and Gwen couldn't speak. Her mouth was open but nothing was coming out. God, what could she say? She loved Rhys, she did but, she was shagging Owen. If she married Rhys and shagged Owen it would be the most horrible thing she could do to him. But she couldn't stop, Owen understood her and understands Torchwood, something that Rhys didn't and probably never would.

"Rhys-I, uh, I don't know." She admitted, feeling her heart clench at the crushed look on his face.

"Oh."

"Rhys, look-" Gwen felt the need to explain but her cellphone interrupted them. Gwen grabbed it from her bag, seeing a text message from Tosh and sighed in relief.

_Thank you, Torchwood._

She turned back to Rhys, grabbing her leather jacket off the coat peg. He was still waiting, heartbroken. Gwen couldn't stand that look on his face. She walked over to him.

"I have to go, there's an emergency at work." She said, putting her jacket on and pulling her hair out of the back of her coat. "Look, I just-I need some time to think, can you give me that?"

He didn't take his eyes off her, "Gwen-" He started, preparing to go into a long tirade but he stopped and sighed, "alright, but will-will you wear the ring at least?" His eager eyes were too much and Gwen found herself nodding. She bent down and kissed his cheek. She pulled away before he could reciprocate.

"See you tonight then," she said to him. "Don't wait up, and thanks for dinner." She gave him a look and all but ran out of the flat, eager to get away from Rhys and the question that would define the rest of her life.

_The end, there's no Gwen-bashing, I generally like Gwen but I think she's really petty and that's the dilemma she faced when Rhys popped the question. If you liked it, please review and I'll see you all (hopefully) next chapter._


	4. Gwen Wants

_Author's Notes: I'm so happy with the overwhelming support to this story! You guys are so awesome and you keep me dedicated and trying my best with my writing. This chapter will continue where the other one left off but a few hours later.  
_

_DISCLAIMER: I don't own Torchwood (Voice: Yes, you do. Me: Shut up, Voice!) _

_(Maximum Ride reference for all those James Patterson fans.)_

Gwen waited for the door to roll away and open up to the Hub. She walked through and up the steps to Tosh's work station where the Japanese woman was hunched over in full techie mode. She put a hand on her shoulder lightly, alerting her presence and Tosh turned around to glance at her.

"What have we got?" Gwen asked. Tosh typed a few things out and a map appeared on the screen.

"Weevil, corner of Balustrade and Carleton." She said in reply, zooming in on the area.

"Only one?" Gwen asked. Tosh nodded, "yeah, I wouldn't have called you but-" Tosh paused considering her words.

"But I wasn't comfortable with Owen going alone, Ianto's in the Archives cataloguing and-"

Gwen nodded, finishing her thought. "Best for him to get in some target practice before sending him into the field."

"Exactly," Tosh said in relief.

"Alright, I'll go suit up then." Gwen said moving away.

"You weren't busy were you, Gwen?" Tosh asked, brown eyes glinting behind her glasses. Gwen shook her head and turned it so that her hair was covering her face.

"Alright, I'll send the coordinates to the SUV then." Tosh turned back to her computer screen, losing herself in the numbers.

"Uh, Tosh?" Gwen turned back around, remembering something. "Where're the keys?"

"I dunno." Tosh looked around as if expecting them to be lying around. "You could try-" She stopped before saying 'Jack's office.' The area had become taboo for them. Nobody went in and everyone walked quickly by. The door was always closed and sometimes they could pretend that Jack was just busy, or in a meeting, not to be disturbed.

"Right." Gwen nodded and forced a smile on her face. She was the leader now and she had to set an example for the team.

'It's not like Jack is here to yell at you', she schooled herself. Gwen sighed and hurriedly moved towards the office. She paused in front of the door, waiting. She wasn't entirely sure what she was waiting for. There was no one to answer her knocks if she did. Suddenly she was acutely aware of how much everyone depended on Jack. They all turned to him for advice. He was always ready with a joke or an innuendo. He was the life of Torchwood.

"Can I help you, Gwen?" Ianto asked politely coming up the steps with a box of files in his arms. She noticed that he tended to stick to a black suit and white shirt with a simple tie again. She remembered seeing him in blue once and she thought he looked dashing.

"Ianto, I was uh-looking for the keys to the SUV." Gwen suddenly felt like an intruder. Ianto had taken over Jack's affairs seamlessly, taking care of Gwen and reminding her of her obligations now that she was acting leader of Torchwood. Jack and Ianto had been, sort of together, before he had left and the younger man had taking to guarding the office like a bear.

"I had them in the tourist office, sorry." He said producing them from his pocket. He had to lean the box on the railing and she moved to help steady it. He gave her a smile, though she noticed it held little emotion. Everything about him was coolly professional. She didn't recall Ianto ever letting loose, except when he was with Jack, even if he wasn't the focus of the Captain's attention.

"It's fine, just needed it for a Weevil hunt." Gwen said accepting the keys. She felt like she should invite him but he stopped her with a hand held up.

"No need, Gwen." He said, "I've just been rearranging the archives, I'm afraid they've fallen into disarray." He grinned at her wryly.

"Alright, just don't spend all night there. You need your rest." She said. His eyes dulled a little and she felt like she said something wrong. Gwen opened her mouth to remedy her mistake but Ianto moved away with a polite goodbye, disappearing around the corner.

Gwen shook her head, cursed herself and went to find Owen. There was still a job to do.

--

Ianto used his sleeve to wipe the sweat and dust off of his brow. All the drawers and cabinets were empty, their contents on the ground in carefully labeled boxes. He decided to clean the archives first before even starting on cataloging. Ianto spent four days washing and dusting and replacing broken drawers and tightening screws. He then rearranged the files so they could be more easily accessed.

He liked the archives. One large room where he could lose himself in the careful consideration of filing and cataloging. He took as much time, making sure everything was meticulous and perfect. There was no demanding Owen or expectant people looking for coffee refills. It was the closest to peace he got since first working at Torchwood.

He rolled the sleeves up on his jacket as a yawn broke out, threatening to split open his face. He was exhausted and nauseous most of the time. When he tried to sleep he tossed around before cleaning his entire flat. Something always needed to be done and Ianto was noticing more and more things that were wrong in his life.

Glancing around at the boxes, Ianto was torn between starting to organize and going upstairs for a coffee. His caffeine addiction won out and he sluggishly moved up the stairs, out of the lower levels and to his coffee machine. The Hub door rolled open and Owen came stalking in, demanding coffee as usual before slinking off to the autopsy bay. Gwen was mourning the loss of her new jacket and sat down heavily at her desk.

"How did it go?" Ianto asked, coming down the steps. Gwen's eyes seemed to widen and he winced, remembering his disheveled appearance.

"…Fine!" Gwen said brightly, recalling her shock. "We brought the Weevil in through the garage, figured it would cause less of a mess."

"I've put on a pot of coffee, would you like some?" Ianto asked. Gwen nodded and turned her chair around.

"That would be lovely, thanks." She said emphatically. He gave a nod of acknowledgment and moved away.

Gwen glanced down at the weight on her finger. It looked as dull and gaudy as it did last night. She kept looking at it from different angles, hoping she could find something she liked but she had yet to. She tried to ignore the niggling part of her brain that said that this was a testament of Rhys' love and if he couldn't remember that she liked simple diamonds on a ring, then how could he remember anything else?

"Gwen, there's a funny weather pattern that you should see-" Tosh came up behind her but stopped catching sight of the ring. She felt torn between scurrying off to her workstation and listening to Gwen, there was obviously something bothering her.

'But' Tosh's brain argued. 'You're not even friends.'

'Jack always wanted us to be,' Tosh retaliated and her brain shut up. Tosh pulled up the other chair in front of Gwen and sat down, placing a comforting hand on her knee. Gwen's eyes looked up at her, confusion and conflict swimming in the brown depths.

"Rhys proposed," Gwen admitted. Tosh blew out air through her teeth; a nervous habit she had.

"What did you say?" Tosh asked. Gwen glanced back down at her hand, "I don't know." Tosh nodded and she looked around. Normally Jack would be there, talking to Gwen but since he was gone, everyone had to pick up the slack.

Tosh stood up and Gwen looked up at her inquiring, "let's go out for breakfast."

"Breakfast?" Gwen asked.

"Well, it is nearly five AM." Tosh tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "And I'm hungry." She held out a hand to Gwen who stared at it for a minute before using it to pull herself up and out of her chair.

"Breakfast sounds great." Gwen said with a smile.

"Good, shall I invite the boys?" Tosh asked. Gwen's smile became forced, "absolutely." Tosh didn't know all of Gwen's little nuances yet and so didn't think anything of it.

"Ianto!" Tosh called as she grabbed her coat and scarf. The man in question dressed immaculately as always in a pressed suit came out of the employees' change room. Tosh thought it looked different, a greyer colour than the one he was wearing this morning and she could have sworn that his tie was black and not red.

"Yes, Tosh?" He asked.

"We're going out for breakfast, would you like to come?" She asked him, eyes taking in the pale skin. He needed to get out more.

"I-" Ianto opened his mouth to refuse but his stomach chose that time to make it's stand on the matter known and grumbled loudly as the prospect of food. Tosh chose to ignore this and Ianto was grateful.

"Breakfast sounds lovely," he nodded. She smiled at him, "great. It's a bit chilly out, so don't forget your coat."

Ianto wondered if the girls realised they were fussing over him like Jack used to.

He made a movement with his head to show he understood and grabbed his jacket. Through the corner of his eye, he saw Tosh go up to Owen who waved her away and probably said something rude as well. She had an annoyed look on her face when she came walking up the stairs and over to where Gwen and Ianto were. He put his hands in his pockets and followed after them.

They walked into the café at the corner which was open nearly all night, and they sat down at a booth. Ianto was on his own while the girls were beside each other. They ordered coffee, eggs and sausages. They ate and they talked. Mostly about little things that had no consequence, Ianto joined in the conversation and even laughed. It wasn't until they were on their second round of coffee that Tosh broached the subject. Tosh gave Gwen a look to start the conversation but it was Ianto who spoke.

"I suppose congratulations are in order then?" Ianto raised his eyebrow and Gwen absently rubbed her ring. She looked down at it with a sigh.

"It's quite a ring," Ianto said. Gwen snorted, "its hideous. But I couldn't tell him that, it means so much to him."

"It's not _that_ awful," Toshiko said but even she winced when Gwen shoved it in front of her nose. Gwen smiled at the Japanese woman's face and Tosh felt her own lips turning up in a grin.

"Does he realise it's on the wrong finger?" Ianto said. Gwen groaned, "I know, I know."

"Did you give him an answer?" Tosh asked taking a sip of her coffee.

"No...its complicated." Gwen put her head in her hands. She didn't have to tell them about her affair with Owen. Tosh had found out from the mind-reading necklace, and Ianto always knew what was going on.

"I know it's wrong, and I don't love Owen." Gwen sighed, "It's just sex but I can't stop."

"Rhys loves you, Gwen." Toshiko said, "He wants to marry you, what's so difficult about that?"

"Owen's like a drug and I'm addicted. I want Owen but, I want Rhys, too. Too bad poligamy is illegal, huh?" Gwen felt tears pricking at her eyes. She purposely forgot to mention her pining for Jack, they already were disgusted enough with her.

Ianto swirled his coffee dregs around in his cup. He had put in enough cream and sugar to get rid of the bitter taste of burnt coffee beans but towards the bottom nothing could camouflage it. Kind of like Gwen, she put on a front of being sweet and caring, and normally she was but then she would do something like this. Something selfish that couldn't be disguised, and as much as Ianto hated people who pretended to be something they were not-he still wanted to help Gwen. He had been taking care of everyone for most of his life, and that had followed him to Torchwood, so he would clean up this mess and hopefully help Tosh realise Owen was a prat (she was too good for him anyways) and maybe make Jack proud.

"Why don't you break it off with one of them, Gwen?" Tosh asked. She felt her annoyance and anger for the woman's actions flare up in her chest but she tried to keep them at bay. It would do no good when she might have to depend on Gwen to save her life.

"I can't-" She said miserably. "I'm not strong enough, and if I marry Rhys-unless Owen suddenly doesn't want me anymore-I'll just continue shagging him, and that would horrible." She looked up at them then, her eyes red-rimmed.

"I don't know what to do."

_This is a really long chapter but I had to set it up for the next event. Which will involve Owen and Ianto mostly. I'll put warnings up, though. So please review, and I'll see you next chapter._


	5. It's Not Cheating if She's Dead

_Author's Notes: This chapter will feature inappropriate language and mentions of Owen/Ianto. It's nothing too graphic, just kissing. Still if you don't like Owen/Ianto, there will be mentions of it in later chapters as well as this chapter. You have been warned._

_DISCLAIMER: I don't own Torchwood but I love it anyways!_

Owen rubbed his eyes. His contacts were killing him, usually he would just replace them but with Jack gone and all the extra work, he hadn't remembered to get new ones. And he would never, ever wear his glasses to work. No, he would just have to suffer until after work. Then he would pop into a pharmacy, change his contacts then go to the pub before finding a gorgeous woman he could shag silly.

Owen went back to the autopsy report on the computer from the exploding old lady from a few nights ago. Yes, technically the case was over, what with the victim being dead and all but if Owen pretended to be doing work then he could avoid helping out the rest of the team. He leaned back in his chair.

Gwen had been bitchier than usual, whining about Rhys while they were Weevil hunting. Then she tried to make him feel bad, like it was his fault. Alright, granted, Gwen was a great shag and he frequently enjoyed making her squirm. But she was just another woman and if she wanted to marry that tottering idiot then fine, but he would not feel guilty for it. It was her fault that she had no self-control.

"Coffee!" Owen shouted, peering into his cup and seeing it empty. Within seconds, Ianto appeared with a tray in his hands and his usual disdain for Owen evident.

"About bloody time," Owen said. He held out his cup expectantly and Ianto all but snatched it out of his hands.

"Do forgive me, Owen. I didn't realise I was at your beck and call." Ianto drawled. Owen blinked, almost surprised at Ianto's tone. Ianto put down the fresh cup down beside Owen and the empty cup on the tray before stepping back.

Owen took a sip of the hot liquid magic. One thing you couldn't fault Ianto for was his coffee making skills. The doctor was acutely aware of Ianto's eyes still on his back. He whirled around in his chair glancing up at the teaboy.

"What?" He said.

"Nothing-" Ianto said, his hands tightening on the tray.

"Then sod off and play with yourself," he said before turning his chair back around. Back to the magic brew...

"Break it off with Gwen." Ianto said in a rush. Owen turned around to stare at him.

"I'm sorry, how is that any of your business?" Owen said.

"It wouldn't be but it's obvious you don't care about Gwen and she has an opportunity for happiness."

"Bet she went crying to everyone, how she couldn't stop shagging me. Bitch." Owen rolled his eyes.

"Do you love her?" Ianto asked. Owen snorted, "no, you fucking idiot, it's just sex."

"Then if it's just sex, break it off, refuse her." Ianto said.

"I see, Gwen's all conflicted and that automatically makes it my fault." Owen stood up.

"No, but she's not strong enough to do it. She's pathetic and selfish, and you should know better. Get rid of her, let her marry Rhys or-"

"Or, what? You'll rat me out to Jack, how do you know she wasn't screwing him too?" Owen spat and Ianto's back went rigid.

"Nothing to say? Shocking." Owen said, "why do you care so much about me and Gwen? You were doing the same thing with your robot girlfriend and Jack."

"I never cheated on Lisa!" Ianto shouted.

"Suppose she'd have to be alive for it to be cheating." Owen winced as the tray hit the wall, clattering to the floor and the cup shattering. He tensed thinking Ianto was going to hit him but the young man just turned on his heel and left.

--

Tosh looked up at the sound of glass shattering and the Hub door opening. She lifted her eyes away from the alien device she was trying to translate and glanced over at the autopsy bay. Owen ran his fingers through his hair and ran up the stairs and towards Tosh.

"What was that about?" She asked. Owen came up behind her, "the first team breakdown."

"Owen!" Gwen said, hurrying in from the tourist office. "I just saw Ianto get into his car and drive away, what happened?"

"We had a disagreement." Owen said.

"What'd you say?" Gwen demanded sharply.

"Nothing," Owen waved her off. He snapped his fingers impatiently, "tracking device in his car, Tosh."

It took her a minute before it registered and she hurriedly began typing. A map pulled up with a bright red dot on it. Owen memorized the area and grabbed his coat, leaving Gwen screaming after him and Tosh wondering if he would kill Ianto.

Owen almost laughed at the irony. Ianto had gone to the same pub that Owen occupied himself. He walked in, deciding that Ianto probably wouldn't be sober enough to drive himself home. The doctor walked into the door and noticed his younger teammate sitting at the bar, finishing off a glass of scotch.

"Figures you'd pick the girly drink," Owen snorted sitting beside him. Ianto didn't look up but his shoulder slumped down lower.

"Fuck off, Owen." He said, motioning for the bartender to give him another. Owen ordered his own drink and reconsidered his choices. Ianto obviously didn't want him here, not that Owen could blame him but if Jack came back and the Welshman was hurt because he had left him alone, then Owen didn't think he'd live all that long either.

"That hurts, mate. Here I am, trying to make you feel better and you tell me to fuck off. I have half a mind to leave." Owen said.

"Only half?" Ianto said, his lips twitching upward. "I didn't think I was that conspicuous."

"Ah, the prissy bitch is back."

"It's not hard with you around."

Ianto finished off his drink and Owen ordered another round for the both of them. Ianto slumped further forward, leaning his head on his hands. His shirt was unbuttoned at the top and the tie was loosened. Owen glanced back up at the Welshman's tired blue eyes and tried to recognise what Jack saw in him. Ianto flew under the radar, made himself invisible, made people believe he was just another pretty face.

Hell, he had basically cock-teased Jack into letting him join Torchwood Three so that he could find a way to save his half-converted Cyber-girlfriend. Then when he had been caught, Ianto was still adamant that he was right and that she could still be saved. You could still see that defiance in his eyes when he talked to you. Owen thought that Jack should have just killed him but the boss probably had taken one look in those watery blue eyes and couldn't pull the trigger.

There was a part of Owen that understood Ianto's conviction. Jack had basically put down his own fiancée and if Owen had a chance to save her, no matter what the cost, he would have. He would have killed Jack Harkness to save Katie. Still, getting into bed with the man who murdered your girlfriend- that was just sick. Maybe Ianto had some masochistic tendencies along to go with his PTSD.

"Why are you here?" Ianto asked wearily. Owen took a drink instead of replying. Ianto looked young, too young to be in Torchwood or to have gone through Canary Wharf. He looked sick too, like he was nursing a cold.

"Came for the booze," Owen finally answered. Ianto didn't say anything and Owen figured the rest of the evening was going to be spent in silence.

"I loved Lisa," Ianto said with conviction. Owen rolled his eyes; well what did he think was going to happen? They would get pissed and become the best of friends. No, Ianto was going to spill out his thoughts and feelings and Owen would have to pretend to care.

"I didn't do anything with Jack while she was…" Ianto gulped down the rest of his drink. It burnt going down his throat and made his eyes water. "…Alive."

Owen raised his eyebrows, he expected some confession about how 'he did it all for love' not 'I did nothing.'

"Do you love Jack?" Owen asked. Ianto snorted, "I didn't expect you to be such a romantic."

"Just giving you a taste of your own medicine, mate." He raised an eyebrow, waiting for an answer.

"He left me," Ianto had an accusatory tone.

"He left all of us," Owen said.

"He wasn't sleeping with all of us," Ianto said bitterly. Owen chose not to make one of his comments that were on the tip of his tongue.

"He'll be back."

"He went to find his _doctor_." Ianto all but spat. "I can't compete with that." Ianto turned watery eyes to Owen, "I just…I want to know what I did."

"What-?" Owen felt his breath catch in his throat. He couldn't stand that expression in Ianto's eyes. He looked like his cousin when his uncle had left him. Owen remembered holding the kid tightly. God, he hadn't seen him in years, last he heard the kid got picked up for shoplifting.

"What did I do to make him leave?" Ianto admitted. It was the same desperate look.

"Maybe he felt we would be okay without him?" Owen tried to find a reason. He had been wondering the same thing.

"This is not okay, Owen." Ianto snorted. "I haven't had a drink like this since my tad died. I was contemplating shooting you today!"

Owen wasn't worried about that comment, Ianto was a crap shot.

"You'd probably aim for my head and hit the wall." Owen smirked.

"I was aiming for your shoulder!"

The familiar argument made Ianto smile and he turned to look at Owen. The older man was smirking into his glass, finishing off the last drop of amber liquid and put his glass on the counter with a clatter. Ianto found himself surging forward and pressing desperate lips onto Owen's. He felt the older man stiffen and expected to be pushed away, not to feel lips part for his own. He eagerly moved inside Owen's mouth, tasting the spicy rum he had just been drinking and he felt Owen grab his tie and pull him closer. Ianto found a type of comfort in the medic, something he had been missing.

_Yes, it's a make-out scene. Well, not really 'cause there's not a lot of detail. Anyways, the main pairing here will be Janto but Owen/Ianto is deliciously seductive. I love it so much! So, please review and tell me what you think. Am I getting better? _


	6. The Morning After is Always Awkward

_Author's Notes: I'm back! This story is so much fun to write, alright so this is a continuation to the Owen/Ianto scene, and there is no smut. You'll have to go to for that. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and please enjoy the next chapter_.

_DISCLAIMER: I don't own Torchwood._

Owen groaned and winced at the throbbing in his head. His mouth was dry; a classic sign of a hangover. He shifted slightly and noted that he was exhausted; the type of bone-tired exhaustion and soreness that only came from a vigorous night of activity. Sure enough, Owen felt a warm body next to his own and had a recollection of a dark-haired young man with his tongue in his mouth. He smirked and glanced over to the side, his eyes widening in surprise.

Well, that was a twist.

Ianto was sleeping on his stomach, one leg thrown over Owen's naked one and an arm thrown across Owen's stomach. His mouth was near his bed partner's ear and he was breathing deeply in sleep. Owen traced the curve of his neck, noting the 'love bites' that had been left there and over the swollen lips. He had a better understanding of Jack's appreciation for the Welshman in the suits; he was just as good out of them.

The Londoner shifted and found an arm tightening around his waist, pulling him closer and lips moving by his ear.

"Stop moving," the young man breathed in Owen's ear, making him shiver as he remembered last night. Ianto was very skilled with his mouth. Owen waited for Ianto's eyes to open, sleepy but widening at the sight of Owen's face. He was probably coming to the same conclusion as Owen had just minutes before.

"Morning," Owen said cheerfully, enjoying the younger man's embarrassment. Ianto sat up and rubbed his head, probably nursing a hangover much like Owen.

"Oh, uh-morning." Ianto said awkwardly. Owen put his hands behind his head and leaned back, putting his usual self-satisfied smirk on.

"Quite a night, huh?"

"Yes, quite." Ianto winced, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Did you have a nice sleep?" Owen asked sweetly.

"When I finally went to sleep." Ianto gave Owen a half-hearted glare. "…Best I've had in awhile, actually." Ianto admitted quietly. Owen felt that he should pretend not to have heard or to acknowledge that comment.

"Shower?" Ianto asked, wrapping the sheet around his body. Owen pointed to the door in the corner of the loft. He smiled at Ianto's sudden shyness. It was rather adorable watching the Welshman pick up all his clothes scattered on the floor.

"Would you like some company?" Owen offered with a grin. Ianto's answer an unamused look and the sound of the door locking.

He got up out of bed, slipping on a pair of jeans only and went into the kitchen. He went into the fridge and pulled out a couple of eggs, some peppers and spinach along with a package of breakfast sausages. He cracked the eggs into a bowl, stirring them just as the sounds of the shower turning on filled the apartment. He turned on the stove and put a frying pan and some olive oil on it. Owen enjoyed cooking for his one-night stands; it was a sort of reward for being so amazing. Plus it would often be enough to lure them back for another amazing night. He started to fry up the spinach and the peppers; he put another frying pan for the sausages on the second burner. As the smells of eggs, vegetables wafted through the apartment, Ianto came out in the same clothes from last night, though Owen noticed that his shirt wasn't done up all the way and his tie was gone.

"Breakfast." Owen announced slipping an omelette on a plate and putting it in front of Ianto. The Welshman glanced up at him in surprise, "you cook?"

"Yes, I don't eat takeout all the time. At home, I like to cook." Owen rolled his eyes, putting his own plate down and handing out cutlery. The sausages were placed in the middle of them.

"Coffee?" Owen asked. Ianto glanced up at him horrified and Owen laughed as he placed a cup of tea in front of Ianto.

"Sorry, couldn't resist." Owen grinned, sitting down in the seat across from him. He noticed that Ianto cut up his food in pieces using his knife before eating while Owen folded up his omelette and swallowed it in four bites. He speared himself two sausages, biting into one of them.

"What's the matter?" Owen asked noticing that Ianto wasn't eating any of the meat.

"I don't eat meat." Ianto said, putting some egg in his mouth. Owen snorted, "Since when?"

Ianto looked up at him, "since our little team-building escapade in the countryside."

Owen shut up and took a great big bite of his sausage, chewing loudly.

"Well I love sausage." He said.

"I know," Ianto grinned. Owen's eyes widened, surprised at that perverse comment. The teaboy wasn't as prudish as he thought, well; he had proved that last night.

"I'm going to take a shower, finish your food." Owen said as he swallowed the rest of his breakfast.

"Looks like you'll be early for work for once," Ianto said. "The girls will faint."

"You're right; I'll have to take a marathon shower." Owen winked.

"Don't you dare," Ianto said pointing a finger at the medic. "I've never been late before!"

"Today's the day for firsts." Owen sang, stepping into the bathroom.

He didn't take as long as he normally did but Owen did let himself unwind as he washed. The hangover was a throb at the back of his head and he reminded himself to take a few painkillers before going into work. The morning after a drink-induced shag was usually awkward and Owen had been worried that Ianto would be whining and regretting everything that had transpired. Still it looked like the Welshman was taking this calmly, though who knew when it came to Ianto Jones. He was so difficult to read.

When Owen came out of the bathroom -dressed in his usual jeans and t-shirt combo that was his work attire-, he found Ianto drying the last of the pans and couldn't help but make a comment.

"Well, you_ did_ cook." Ianto said in reply.

"Looks like we'll just make it," Owen said glancing down at his watch. His eyes furrowed noticing a glass of water and some pain tablets on the table. He knew they were Ianto's doing and downed them eagerly.

"You sure you don't want to stop by your flat to get some clothes." Owen asked, glancing at Ianto who stood ready by the door with his jacket slung over his arm. He shook his head, "I have a change of clothes at the Hub."

"Why am I not surprised?" Owen said as they stepped into the elevator after locking the door, and went down into the parking lot. They got into Owen's classy silver Mercedes and drove through the early morning rush to the tourist office and the parking lot in the back.

"Ianto," Owen said, stopping the Welshman as he opened his door.

"I know that this wasn't where you wanted things to go, for fuck's sake I didn't plan it." Owen snorted. Ianto blinked, obviously not seeing the point and Owen sighed.

"Last night," Owen started. "Just…no regrets."

"Alright," Ianto nodded as he left the car. Owen heard the quiet 'me too' before he followed after Ianto. It was turning out to be an interesting day.

_I thought it was cute, I don't know if you guys did. I like the relationship between Ianto and Owen and think that if they had the opportunity, they could be great friends. This isn't an 'Ianto/Owen love story' but rather a friendship story. It's the way that people come together and changed when Jack was gone. Gwen had to make a choice, Tosh had to open up and I think she became a 'Jack-like' character. Tosh took care of the team, even though she wasn't the leader but she did it in a less obvious way, sort of under-handed like Ianto used to. Owen and Ianto on the other hand are gaining a better understanding of each other, Owen's stepping up and learning to care again, and Ianto's learning that you can depend on people and that he can stand on his own. _

_Thanks for reading and please review._


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